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In the midst of a national emergency on the southern border of the United States, President Trump made two major changes to the Department of Homeland Security.
On Friday, the White House withdrew the candidacy of Ron Vitiello to the position of permanent director of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, having been interim director of the agency since June 2018. A few days later Kirstjen Nielsen, secretary of DHS, was later dismissed. a decision that took a lot of people by surprise, but that was well received by extremists from immigration.
On Monday, Nielsen told reporters that she hoped to support Trump's agenda from the outside, stating, "I share the president's goal of securing the border."
The concept of "securing the border" has been disputed. The southern border of the United States has not been secure for years. This is one of the reasons why Trump is currently president while relying on a political platform of building a wall.
But things got so much worse under Nielsen, in particular, Trump declared a national emergency situation in February 2019. Who could possibly be the next secretary of DHS?
Energy Secretary Rick Perry, who served as Texas governor for three terms, is one of the top candidates for the position. However, he expressed skepticism about building a physical boundary wall. He said in 2011, during his presidential race: "If you build a 30-foot wall between El Paso and Brownsville, trading in 35-foot ladders becomes really good." In 2016, Perry went back on his skepticism, embracing Trump's proposal to build a wall.
It would not be shocking if Trump chooses Perry. The Senate confirmed that he held the position of Energy Secretary, by 62 votes to 37. The White House is therefore not afraid that it can be confirmed this time around. But there are other potential candidates that Trump could name and who might have a tougher time.
Kris Kobach, former Kansas Secretary of State and longtime Trump ally, has long been under surveillance in the White House, knowing he is closely linked to Trump's immigration, but his appointment would probably be elected to the Senate. Then there is Ken Cuccinelli, former Virginia Attorney General, who also supported Trump but who has few allies in the Republican-controlled Senate after asking Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to to resign in 2017.
Of course, Kevin McAleenan, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, replacing the Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, should not be ruled out as a permanent replacement. McAleenan applied Trump's "zero tolerance policy" to border crossing in the summer of 2018, which led to the separation of families.
Like everything that happens in the country, the responsibility lies with the president. Nielsen may not have met the expectations set by opponents of immigration, but Trump is ultimately responsible for worsening the situation along the southern US border.
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